Traverse City, MI – August 7, 2025—The start of the final week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by B&D Builders, coincided with the season five debut of Major League Show Jumping (MLSJ), marking the tours fifth year running at Traverse City Horse Shows.
Part of the MLSJ tour since its inception, Daniel Bluman (ISR) knows the format well and used it to his advantage to snag the very first CSI5* win aboard Hummer Z, owned by Abigail Wexner. He emerged atop the podium from an impressive field of international pairs in the $63,000 ClipMyHorse TV CSI5* Qualifier.
Marina Azevedo (BRA) built a tough track in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring, with ten pairs producing clear rounds and advancing to the jump-off. Bluman’s draw put him in the middle of the jump-off order, and he took all the risks necessary to capture and maintain the top spot.
“Hummer was fantastic today,” Bluman said of the11-year-old Zangersheide gelding (VDL Harley x Hemmingway). “I thought he jumped beautifully in the first round and then amazing again in the jump-off.”
The pace was quick when Bluman stepped in, but he knew he could take the speed up a notch without giving it everything he had.
“Luckily for me Hummer is a fast-moving horse and he felt in amazing form today,” he remarked on his jump-off strategy. “My plan was to go eighty percent and it did work out. It was very close margins, but I think I played it smart. I just wanted to have a smooth round and let him leave the ring on a great note.”
Coming up just short for second place was Kristen Vanderveen (USA) with Bull Run’s Jireh, and in third was Richard Spooner (USA) with Lyjanair.
Hummer Z may be wise beyond his years, thanks to his upbringing under U.S. Olympian Beezie Madden. While Bluman was working alongside Madden during the winter season in Wellington, she thought he and Hummer could make a nice pair.
“Beezie developed him since he was six,” Bluman went on. “She did a beautiful job. The horse wants to do what you ask of him and that’s a testament to what Beezie has done with her horses. He jumps a lot of clear rounds and is very competitive and lovely to have in the barn.”
Bluman took the reins from Madden in the spring of 2024, not long after Madden introduced Hummer Z to five-star action in the fall of 2023 in Traverse City. While they’ve won several classes together throughout their partnership, this marks the horse’s first five-star victory.
With changes to the format, MLSJ team members can now earn their team additional points from qualifying classes throughout each week. Bluman’s team, Maccabi United, will put themselves up in front thanks to his win, but the week—and season—has only just started.
“This week, every class is a target,” Bluman said. “Hummer started with this class and he delivered. Tomorrow I’ll be riding Corbie in the team competition and Corbie will also jump the grand prix on Saturday. The week started great and it’s great for our team, especially with the new format where every class counts. We are motivated to try our best in each of the classes.”
Entering its fifth season, MLSJ has altered its structure and the teams have shuffled riders, but since its inception Bluman recognized the prestige and quality the league is bringing to North American show jumping.
“It is very exciting,” he said of being a part of the league for another season. “It’s the fifth year and I’ve been here since the beginning. I think it’s one of the best things that has happened to the sport worldwide and definitely the best thing in North America.”
The week still offers exciting classes that Bluman and the rest of his teammates are looking to win, including Friday’s $200,000 Cabana Coast MLSJ Team Competition and Saturday’s $340,000 B&D Builders CSI5* Grand Prix.
“It’s always great to win,” Bluman said. “It’s difficult at this level with so many great riders and horses, so when you win you take it and be happy.”
Complete results from the $63,000 CSI5* ClipMyHorse TV Qualifier can be found here.
Earlier in the day in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring, Germany’s Tony Stormanns topped the 2* Two-Phase riding Twick Star, a 9-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Twilight x Coupe d’Or) owned by Alexandra Crown.
The 11th season of GLEF proudly hosted its first-ever FEI Nations Cup, highlighting six weeks of FEI competition running through August 10. GLEF also featured the FEI North American Youth Championships and the return of Major League Show Jumping CSI5* competition to Traverse City. Catch up on all the action here.
About Traverse City Horse Shows
Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS) offers 13 weeks of top equestrian competition each summer at Flintfields Horse Park in Williamsburg, Michigan—just 15 minutes from downtown Traverse City. The venue blends world-class sport with the natural beauty of Northern Michigan and features 12 weeks of FEI-ranked events, including three five-stars and an FEI Nations Cup CSIO3*.
The season culminates in the three-week Tournament of Champions, highlighted by the $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ CSI5*-W—Traverse City and $340,000 American Gold Cup CSI5*. New this year, the $100,000 Dudley and Barb Smith 3’6” Equitation Championship and $50,000 Cherry Capital 3’3” Equitation Championship deliver big prize money and prestige to the equitation ranks.
For more information on the season, visit TraverseCityHorseShows.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates.
